Tyson Fury went into the Usyk fight undefeated in the record books (the Wilder draw being the lone blemish, widely scored in Fury's favor). He came out with his first loss. Here is what it means.
Fury's career (Source: BoxRec):
- 34-1-1 (24 KOs) after the Usyk fight
- Defeated Wladimir Klitschko in 2015 to become unified heavyweight champion -- one of the biggest upsets in heavyweight history
- Mental health struggles and a 3-year absence from the ring
- Comeback trilogy with Deontay Wilder: draw, TKO win, KO win
- Lost to Usyk in the undisputed fight by split decision
What made Fury special:
- Size and movement. 6'9", 270 lbs, and he moves like a middleweight. The combination should not work but it does. His ability to make heavyweights miss with head movement and footwork at that size is unprecedented.
- Mental resilience. Overcoming depression, substance abuse, and ballooning to 400+ lbs to return to championship form is one of the greatest comeback stories in sports.
- Entertainment. Fury is boxing's best promoter since Ali. The trash talk, the singing after fights, the personality. He brought eyeballs to heavyweight boxing.
The Usyk loss analysis: Fury tried to outbox Usyk early and it did not work. Usyk's footwork created angles that Fury could not close. By the middle rounds, Usyk was landing clean combinations and Fury was visibly hurt in the 9th round. Fury rallied late but the damage was done.
Legacy ranking: Fury is a top-10 heavyweight of all time. The Klitschko upset, the Wilder trilogy, and the skillset at his size guarantee that. The Usyk loss does not diminish what he accomplished.
Sources:
- BoxRec — career record
- Ring Magazine — heavyweight rankings
- CompuBox — Fury vs. Usyk statistics
- ESPN — post-fight analysis